Follow Me Down
by Xelbie
Summary: AU. Regina's plan is a success & Emma falls under the sleeping curse. Storybrooke is slowly going back to its boring routine & everyone is struggling to keep their memories of Emma except Henry. While in the Enchanted Forest, Killian Jones dreams that every night he is in a white room with a woman named Emma. Both are unaware that they are each others true love. CS/Charming family
1. She Dreamed

_Chapter One_

**She Dreamed**

* * *

_And so she ran away in her sleep._

* * *

With a sigh, Emma threw some of her clothes into one of the open cardboard boxes. Hesitating slightly, she bent down and slowly began to close the flaps, folding one end over another until it was neatly closed. She was trying to make haste, hoping that she would not run into Henry or Mary Margret before she was able to skip town. She kept trying to tell herself that her intentions were sincere. Two notes sat on the counter in the apartment, one to her son and the other to her best friend. Both letters explained her reasoning and that it was probably best if she went back to Boston. Somewhere, she wrote that she would still be able to visit, but that even sounded lame to herself.

Yes, she admitted it. She was running again. There was no room for her in Henry's life, Regina had made sure of that. The mayor had surprised her though. She did seem very displeased that Emma was still going to be in Henry's life every now and again, she had agreed to her terms. Hell, she even gave Emma a snack for the road, which confused her a bit, but it was a nice gesture. In the end, the she didn't have such a bad impression of Regina.

_This is what's best for him though,_ the blonde thought to herself. The boy would never be happy if his adoptive and biological mother kept making hissy faces at each other. Someone had to be the bigger woman, and she had already known that it wasn't going to be Regina.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Dread dropped down to her stomach and her eyes closed almost painfully. Emma knew for a fact that it wasn't Mary Margret. Why would she knock to get into her own home? No… It was probably Henry. She was hoping that maybe, just maybe, when she opened that door it would just be August coming to apologize or David trying to see her roommate. She wished for it with all her heart.

Walking over to the door, she pulled it open and almost visibly winced when she saw the young boy standing there, looking curious. _Plan B_… Emma did her best to play it off. She left the door open for him to come in and then she went back to packing, hoping to avoid her son's disappointed gaze. "Emma? I tried to call you on the walkie-talkie, but you didn't answer." Henry said, but his expression changed when he saw the boxes she had in the living room. "What's going on…?"

"Um…" Oh god. _Shit_. This isn't how she wanted things to go… She should have been out of Storybrooke by now, and Henry would just be reading the letter… "Listen, Henry… I can't stay in town…"

"What…?" His eyes grew wide, suddenly coming to terms with what she was saying.

"I made a deal with Regina, okay? I can still see you, just… not frequently… I'm sorry, but I can't fight her anymore. Every time I do, someone gets hurt." Emma finished quietly. Her thoughts shift for a brief second. She starts to curse herself for letting her walls down. She thinks that if she hadn't, leaving wouldn't be so painful.

Though she knows that it's not true. Emma thinks of Graham, Mary Margret, and Henry… She hadn't noticed the tears that were starting to form in her eyes. _This is what I'm leaving; who I'm leaving…_ She stared at Henry. _It's for the best, though…_

The young boy shook his head, "No, _no_, you can't leave! You-, you have to break the curse! You have to stop her!"

Emma turned to her son and dropped a shirt into one of the boxes. "Henry! This isn't a story!" Her eyes were getting more watery by the minute. "This is reality. You can't skip school. You can't believe in curses…"

"You don't understand! She wants you _dead_!"

"Henry! Please…" A tear fell from Emma's eye as her son gave her a bear hug around her waist. With one arm, she embraced him, wishing that the moment would last forever.

Henry suddenly asks, "Where did you get that?"

Emma released her grip on him so that she could turn and see what he was talking about. She found him looking fixatedly at the apple turnover Regina had given her. He seemed to be eying it suspiciously as she walked up next to him. She quirked an eyebrow towards him and was watching him stare at the pastry on the plate. His eyes go wide as he exclaims, "You can't eat that!"

"What? Why not?" Emma inquired. The treat did smell rather tasty, so she had planned on eating it before she left.

"Don't you see? The deal was just so you would eat this! It's apple!" Henry explained cryptically. It took a while before she realized that he was talking about the fairytales again.

Emma sighed loudly. "Oh, come on, Henry! Regina is not evil. I can prove it." She grabbed the turnover off the plate before her son could.

"Wait!" Henry said, but she had already taken a small bite out of the corner of the pastry. Both were quiet until she swallowed the food she was chewing.

The sheriff started. "See? There is nothing-." She stopped. Suddenly, it felt difficult to breathe. Throwing Regina's treat back down on the plate, she brought a hand up to her mouth, her fingers brushed her lips as realization hit her. Henry was right, and her son's adoptive mother was the evil queen, who wanted her dead.

Emma crumpled to the floor as Henry's cries of fear and shock seemed to be fading slowly. There was no pain, just a strange tug in the back of her mind. It was as if something was gently soothing her and calling towards her. Whenever she tried to move, each limb would reject her demand, only adding more weight to her sudden exhaustion. All she wanted to do was sleep.

Finally, her eyes met Henry's once more and after seeing the fear in his eyes, she couldn't do anything to stop her eyelids from drooping closed forever. The daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming was then cursed to sleep for eternity.

* * *

Henry was scared. When Emma had taken a bite of his mom's turnover, he was frightened; not just for her, but for himself. He didn't know how he would handle it if Emma was gone; he had just gotten to know her and he didn't want to lose her. When she swallowed, he released the breath that he was holding. She started talking, but something stopped her.

"Emma? Are you okay?" Henry asked nervously as the blonde brought her fingers to her lips, looking troubled, but she never responded. Then, she collapsed, her head lolling on the ground while the boy ran to her side. "Emma?!"

Her blue-green eyes seemed cloudy and distant, as if she was looking beyond him. It took a bit of coaxing, but she finally turned to him, and right after she did, her eyelids shut. Fear and panic had started to fill him."Emma! EMMA!" Henry started to shake her shoulder roughly.

_No! This isn't how it was supposed to happen! She can't be cursed! She's the savior! _He thought frantically. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't wake the woman. Tears began to fall freely onto his cheeks as he resigned and slumped down to his knees. For a moment, he just sat there, looking at his mother.

She looked so peaceful. No one would ever guess that she was under a curse. He had been right all along, but it wasn't something to celebrate about. Before he would have been extremely happy that fairytales were real. Now he wanted to be wrong. He didn't want fairytales to exist if it meant that his mother would be placed under a sleeping curse.

Henry knew that he should go find help, but no one could save her. The only person that Emma could have possibly loved was Graham or his father, but they were both gone. Slowly, he let his head rest on his mom's stomach and cried silently.

He sat there until there was a knock at the to the apartment entrance. Lifting his head, he ran to the door, hoping it was Mary Margret or Archie, someone, _anyone_ besides Regina. However, when he opened the apartment door, he was shocked to find David Nolan standing there. _Prince Charming, _Henry thought immediately. _Emma's father._

* * *

David knocked on Mary Margret's door, almost regretting it the second he did. Part of him wished that it would be Emma that would answer the door, telling him that her roommate wasn't there. He wasn't sure if he was ready to face the woman again. He had made a mistake when he said that he wanted to leave Storybrooke. He just wanted to be around Mary Margret. Now, all he could do was apologize and hope for was a second chance.

The door flew open, and what surprised him was that it was not Mary Margret or her roommate, but Henry. David was ready to greet the child casually, but he grew concerned when he noticed the boy's puffy eyes and wet cheeks. He became more confused when Henry crashed into him, hugging him tightly around the waist. "H-Henry?"

"I'm sorry. Y-You have to help her somehow, _please_," the boy's words were slightly muffled as he spoke into his abdomen.

"Help who…?" David's words drifted off as he first thought of Mary Margret, but he soon saw who the child was talking about. His eyes widened as he saw an unconscious woman on the ground. "Emma?!"

The man quickly rushed to the blonde's side, with Henry under his right arm, still sobbing. David released his grip on the boy next to him and kneeled down beside the blonde. He brought his ear down to her chest and listened for a pulse. A sigh of relief left him as he heard the quiet and calm thumping of her heart. He reclined his head back and stared at the woman. Emma's curls were fanned around her while her head was angled slightly to her left. He didn't see anything wrong with her; it just looked as if she were sleeping.

David almost laughed at his own over exaggeration. "Don't be so worried, Henry, she's just asleep," he placed a hand on the boy's head reassuringly.

Henry shook his head quickly. "No! She's not! Regina used the same magic that she used on Snow White; it's the sleeping curse!"

"Henry…" He started. He knew that the boy had a wild imagination; he had heard so from Mary Margret. However, he didn't know that he thought of Regina, his adoptive mother, as an evil queen of some sorts.

"No! You don't understand!" The brown-haired boy shouted urgently. David watched as he moved to the counter and picked up a triangular pastry. "Emma got this from Regina and when she ate it, she just collapsed! And it's made of apple!"

"It's just a coincidence. Emma's probably just exhausted and-."

"_Fine then_! I'll prove it! Try to wake her up," Henry demanded.

David just sighed and obeyed, not wanting to argue with the kid. He put and hand on Emma's shoulder and shook her gently. "Emma? You shouldn't sleep on the ground." The sheriff didn't stir, and he attempted to wake her again. "Emma…? Come on, wake up."

Nothing.

Henry started to sniffle again and panic rose within the man. Of course, he didn't think that Regina had placed the blonde under a curse, but something was definitely wrong if she wasn't responding to him. _One last test_, David thought. He had a theory, but he hoped that it was wrong.

He grabbed Emma's arms and lifted them into the air, only a few inches off the ground, and let them fall freely. Both arms fell to her side limply with synchronized _thumps._ She was still unresponsive. Henry spoke up. "Well…?"

Without thinking, David lifted Emma off the floor and brought her into his arms. He couldn't meet the boy's eyes. "She… She's in a coma…" He said quietly. "We need to get her to the hospital."

* * *

Mary Margret Blanchard was an emotional woman and she wasn't ashamed of it. She worked with kids for a living, so of course she was going to be kind and empathetic; it was only natural. However, when she heard the news about her best friend, she completely shut down. The last few days were hard for her; having to deal with David, trying to understand Emma when she suddenly believed that leaving Storybrooke with Henry was what was best for him.

That morning had been tense. She hadn't meant to be so mean to her friend, but she was angry. Emma had told her not too long ago that they were family, and that they should stick together, they _needed_ to be together. When she had found out that the blonde had left, she had no words of comfort for the woman.

The brunette had really thought Emma had changed, that she was starting to open up. Oh, how wrong she was, though. The sheriff was just as guarded and cautious as ever, the only thing Mary Margret had managed to do was scratch the surface of the walls.

However, now as she sat next to her comatose friend, all she wanted was to go back and redo that morning. The last time she spoke to Emma, she was angry, and she had reprimanded her harshly. Now, all she wanted was to turn back the clock and speak to her again, just once. She didn't care what about, but just hearing the woman's voice would make her feel much better than she did now.

Tears began to well up in her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that day. She clutched Emma's hand tighter, as if that would stop the tears from forming. Mary Margret wasn't sure what had happened. All she remembered was getting a phone call from David, saying that something was wrong with her roommate and that was all she needed to know before she came racing over from Granny's to the hospital.

Dr. Whale had explained that Emma was indeed in a coma, but he wasn't sure why. "All of her vitals are fine, and she has no physical injuries. She just… suddenly fell into a coma." He said they would monitor her until she woke up, but his tone and expression had spoken the silent words, _which won't be anytime soon._

Henry was crying when he had told her what happened, and that Emma was cursed like Snow White was. Cursed to sleep forever.

All Mary Margret did was pull the boy into a hug and stroke his hair gently and soothingly, knowing that he must have been having a hard time, too. She and the boy sat together beside Emma, just silently waiting. Hoping.

Now it was late, she had told David to go home to rest and Regina had come and taken Henry home (not having the tiniest shred of pity for Emma's situation). With a sad sigh, she instinctively pushed one of the blonde's curls to the side and stared. Her best friend was in a coma. She tried to tell herself that she was worrying too much, and that Emma would be awake in less than a week, but what made her nervous was the fact that the last person that she had known to be in a vegetable state had stayed like that for as long as she could remember and had only woken up recently.

Mary Margret Blanchard sat down and curled up in one of the hospital's cushioned armchairs before letting her head rest on the edge of the hospital bed as she let out all the tears she had been harboring since that evening.

* * *

Killian Jones did not usually dream.

It's not that he didn't like to dream, but his mind just didn't wander. He never fell into that kind of sleep, a bottle of rum every night had made sure of that.

However, the times that he did, it was either about sailing, Neverland, or Milah. So he hadn't expected to find himself dreaming, quite vividly, of him being in a bright white room. He wasn't exactly sure when he had fallen asleep. All he recalled was being on his ship and drinking rum while the rest was still hazy to him.

He was sitting on the floor, and his black leather outfit contrasted greatly with the blanch walls that he was leaned up against. He soon spotted a door in front of him, simple in design, as all it came with was a handle to open it. Hook was extremely confused. _I've never had a dream quite like this…_

A voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Who the hell are you?" His head snapped to his right where he had just come to notice a pretty woman sitting a good distance away from him. She wore white, just like everything else in the chamber. It was a simple dress, cutting off at her knees, made out of a light fabric. Her legs peeked out from beneath the material, revealing her shoeless feet. Blonde curls ran down her shoulders and back while her eyes gazed at him, both curious and cautious.

_Curious indeed._

* * *

**[A/N]: **_I shouldn't be writing another story, but here it is. This one will probably be a short fic, though. Please tell me what you think~ Xelbie_


	2. He Dreamed

**Disclaimer: I don't know _why_ anyone would ever think I own OUAT or the characters. I don't. If I did, I would make my ships sail faster than the Jolly Roger.**

* * *

_Chapter Two_

**He Dreamed**

* * *

_And still I dream…_

* * *

Killian Jones had no clue what was going on. He had never dreamt of a white room before, and he certainly had never seen this woman in his life. Then again, he wondered why he was looking into the situation so much. It was just a dream after all. "Oh god," he heard the woman mutter before speaking louder. "_Please _tell me you're not Captain Hook."

He felt his eyebrows rise slightly. Was this his subconscious talking to him in the form of a woman? How the hell was he supposed to respond? He couldn't ignore her she was practically burning holes into him, but he would sound crazy if he actually started explaining himself in his own dream. Either way, he would feel ridiculous.

_Damned if you do, damned if you don't_, he thought.

With a sigh, he addressed the blonde. "Aye, the name's Killian Jones, otherwise known as Captain Hook," he paused. "May I ask for your name, darling?"

He saw her shoot him a wary glance from the corner of her eyes, then she went back to picking at the fabric of her dress. Killian thought he heard her murmur something under her breath that sounded like, "This is ridiculous…"

"Emma… Swan," she spoke begrudgingly. Throwing her head back, she allowed it to tap against the wall repeatedly. "How the _hell_ did Captain _fucking_ Hook get in my dream?"

That got his attention. Before he was just humoring the woman, knowing that it was just his mind playing games with him. Now, he really didn't know what was going on. He knew for a fact that he was dreaming, quite lucidly, actually. The only difference was that now he didn't know whose dream it was. "Your dream? No, I know that I am dreaming, but somehow I ended up here…"

The woman, Emma, snorted. "Yeah? Well get your own dream, pal; I was here first." She brought her arms together and rested them on her knees before laying her chin down. "Oh god, Henry was right… and now a pirate is in my head."

"Alright," Hook stood and walked towards her. "Now, what the bloody hell are you going on about?" Normally, he would welcome a beautiful woman, dream or no dream, but the situation was all too strange for him. "If this truly is _your_ dream rather than mine, how do you know of me?"

Raising her head up from the cradle of her arms, she explained lazily. "You're well known in my world as a… Character. There are stories and junk about you."

Hook narrowed his eyes. "About me? What world do you come from?"

"A small town called Storybrooke. Heard of it? I certainly doubt it," Emma said sarcastically. The bitter aura that came off of the woman was a bit unnerving. "I assume you are from the Enchanted Forest or Neverland?" She added a bit of false cheerfulness at the words 'Enchanted Forest'.

He folded his arms, "Aye, but how do you-?"

"—know? The stories might have said something. I'm going on a limb with the rest."

Hook stayed quiet for a moment before he shook his head. "This is absurd." He was obviously dreaming; it would be insane to think otherwise. He had to give his subconscious kudos for adding such creative detail. "I must have drunken gallons of rum to get to this level of nonsense."

The Swan girl huffed and stood from her seated position. "Look, I'm not telling you to be here, and I don't need to explain myself to you. If you believe me, great. If you don't, then there's the damn door; go use it," she growled.

Her face was inches away from his own and he could practically feel anger and irritation radiating off of her. For a second, he started to believe her. Maybe they _were _sharing a dream; stranger things have happened. The fire in the woman's eyes looked too fierce too be fake.

He continued to stare at her features until finally; he forced himself to turn away from her. Killian walked to the door and pulled the lever, revealing a clear view of his chambers. It was the captain's quarters on his ship. Looking behind him, he could see the blonde giving him a hard, calculating stare, but there was something else in her eyes. What was it? Disappointment? Desperation?

_Loneliness? _

Facing forward again, he stepped out of the room, wondering why Emma Swan looked so helplessly trapped, _like a beautiful bird in a rusty cage._

* * *

Emma sank back down, using the wall as a guide to the floor. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she then burrowed her face in her hands, frustrated. This was _not_ happening. There was just no way magic was real. If it was, then it would mean many things.

It would mean that she was a princess, savior and fairytale character. It would mean that everything August had told her was true. It would mean that she had a crush on the Huntsman. It would mean that her son was raised by the Evil Queen. It would mean that she really _was _under a damn sleeping curse, the very same one that was used on her mother.

Then, it would mean that she really had parents, Snow White and Prince Charming to be exact. All this time, she's been living with her mother in a small town where characters from fairytales are real. It was crazy and insane, but it was true, all of it.

However, this also meant that she was dead.

If this was Snow White's curse, then she was screwed. Emma Swan's life was not a fairytale. There was no prince, no knight, and no lover to save her. All her life she had been alone, always doing things solo. She was her own knight in shining armor, but now that her sword and shield had been ripped away, she had nothing.

_She was alone._

* * *

Mary Margret woke to the sound of the slow, steady, beeping sound of what seemed like a heart monitor. Bringing herself upright from her awkward position, she realized that her head had been settled on a hospital bed. At first, she was confused, but then her eyes fell upon a still figure lying on the bed in front of her. Memories of the previous day had started to come back to her and her eyes instantly began to tear up.

The room was dark with the blinds closed and the lights off. There was little to no noise in the hospital except for the occasional creak of the building or the rhythmic pulsing of the monitor. A staff member was behind the desk down the hall, shuffling through files absently, but other than that, she was alone. And she was glad she was, too.

She then remembered everything clearly. Looking to the woman in the bed, tears were already falling when she brought herself to look at Emma's face. The blonde's head was tilted slightly towards her as it rested on the pillow, her expression peaceful and serene. It was ironic how Emma could seem so calm and tranquil when Mary Margret was doing everything she could not to fall apart.

Oh, yes. She was a mess and she knew it very well. The brunette could only imagine how she must have looked with puffy, red rimmed eyes and disheveled hair, but the fact of the matter was: she didn't care. Not one bit, not at all. If it meant staying by her friend's side, she would have given up everything and anything just to be with her.

And she knew for a fact that Emma would do the same for her.

More tears rolled down her cheeks as she grabbed her best friend's limp hand and cradled it to her chest. Never before had she ever felt so broken. Soon, the door opened and caused her to jump a foot into the air. Mary Margret didn't realize how long she had been sitting there, but it must have been hours because light was now peeking through the cracks between the blinds and more staff and personnel were bustling outside the room.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you…" Mary Margret shut her eyes, almost painfully, at the sound of his voice. _David_. "Were you here all night?"

No, no, _no_. She did not want this right now, not when she was already so close to breaking. The day before had been a wake-up call to her. However, she had pushed everything aside after she heard about Emma. It wasn't about her feelings; her best friend was all that was on her mind. She remembered briefly speaking to David, only to hear what he had to say about Emma before she went to find Whale.

Sucking in a breath, she didn't look at him when she replied. "Yes, I have," her voice sounded hoarse and much weaker than she would have normally allowed. Clearing her throat, she added. "Thank you for bringing her here."

She heard footsteps coming closer and in the corner of her eye she saw his tall figure standing beside her. "Of course. Poor Henry was terrified and I wasn't just going to leave her there…" A pause. "How is she?" He asked quietly.

"No better, no worse," Mary Margret said in a tone just as low and that's when she broke. Sobs began to fill the room and she couldn't stop her body from shaking as she buried her face into her sleeves. Hearing the sound of her own cries was horrible and made her feel weak, but again, she couldn't care less. She felt as if she would never be done crying for her best friend.

Arms enveloped her trembling figure from behind and she found herself leaning into David for comfort. "Shh, its okay, she's going to be fine," she heard him coo while he bent over her and rubbed her arms. "Emma's strong, I'm sure she can pull out of something like this."

"I-I'm so scared for h-her! S-she c-can't leave me like this!" Her exclamation was muffled, but the next words were loud and clear. "_I d-don't want to b-b-be alone!_" Mary Margret felt like a child, but embarrassment was the last thing on her mind. She allowed herself to wail freely, letting all and any remaining tears fall.

David held her tightly. "You're not alone, you're not alone…" He repeated like a mantra. After a few seconds, she realized that David was crying as well. His sobs were lighter, softer, but she despite her quaking, she could feel the quivers that his weeping caused.

Together, they both sat in Emma's room, shedding countless tears. And though they weren't aware that the unconscious woman was their daughter, the hurt felt all the same.

* * *

David walked, in a slight daze, down the street. His mind was in a million places, but he was only truly focused on one. Emma Swan, the sheriff, Henry's birth mother, he knew her by many names, but he had never really seen her as a close friend. He was certain that she didn't view him as a friend at all because of what happened between him and Mary Margret.

So, naturally, he was confused when he found himself crying about Emma. Yes, he was sad and upset about it, but he wasn't sure why he felt so strongly about it. Was it because he had been in a coma, as well? It was puzzling. Why did he feel a strange pull towards this woman?

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he pushed his hands into his pockets after entering Granny's diner. After he and Mary Margret had collected themselves, she said something about talking about 'them' and he knew what that meant. David offered to get them something before they discussed their relationship any further, knowing that she probably hadn't eaten yet and wouldn't leave Emma's side. Thus, now he was at the diner, getting some food for the two of them.

"Hey, David," greeted Ruby, who wore a sympathetic expression. She then asked softly. "How's Emma?"

The restaurant wasn't too crowded, but he wasn't exactly comfortable about speaking about the town's unconscious sheriff. However, he replied gently. "Her condition hasn't changed…"

Ruby simply nodded and gave a supportive smile. "I'm sorry to hear that. Tell Mary Margret that I'm here if she wants to talk," she then inquired. "Would you like to order something, then?"

"Two hot chocolates and grilled cheeses, to-go, please," he said while handing over a twenty dollar bill. The brunette gave him change and then went to the kitchen to relay his order.

David then sat on one of the bar stools, waiting patiently for his order. It was a little later when Granny Lucas came over to chat. "Hello, David. Why the long face?"

He tried to add a light tone to his words. "It's nothing. Mary Margret is upset because of Emma, and I guess it's rubbing off on me."

The older woman only looked confused. "Emma? Who's that?"

Granny's words shocked him slightly. In Storybrooke, everybody knew everyone. The town was not largely populated, which was why Emma's sudden appearance had been a surprise. David just assumed that the woman had only forgotten because of her aging memory. He elaborated. "Emma, the blonde sheriff? She's probably been here a few times." It was pretty much the only legit dining place around, after all.

She still gazed at him questioningly. It was only after a few seconds when her eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh, right! Sheriff Swan, she always comes here for coffee in the mornings. Damn my rotting memory." David only offered a smile in reply before Ruby came out with a paper bag, filled with food.

He thanked them both before leaving the diner, trying to remember the first time he met Emma.

* * *

**[A/N]: **_Thank you all so much for the huge response on the last chapter! I got a lot of really good feedback! Now, I know you're all thinking, **Why doesn't Emma just leave like Hook did?** and I promise you I will answer this next chapter along with some more Emma/Hook. This chapter was focused mainly on MM/David (if you hadn't noticed), and I'm sorry that the POV skipped around a lot. I just had to stabilize Snowing's relationship before I went on, because let's all admit it, their relationship was a mess near this part of the season._

_I'm also (not)sorry about how much angst is in this chapter. I swear, I would answer you guest readers, but alas, I cannot, so special shout-out to them. Thank you for all the fav/follows/reviews and please leave feedback or a comment._

**_Chapter's Song: I Dreamed a Dream_**


	3. Not Complete Strangers

**[A/N]:** _I don't own OUAT because A&E do and they torture us by teasing Captain Swan in the middle of hiatus and how dare they. Anyways, if any of you want to sue for broken feels, make sure its not me. It's them._

* * *

_Chapter Three_

**Not Complete Strangers**

* * *

_She's on your mind._

* * *

Killian woke with a start, his body flew up from his laying position it had been in before. He looked around, slightly dazed, but found himself looking at his captain's quarters. The room rocked slightly, swaying with the tides. Throwing the linen sheets off of him, he swung his legs over the side of his mattress and let out a long sigh. Burying his face in his hands, he then rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. After, he just sat there.

His mind wasn't completely with him yet. All he could think about was his dream; the white room, the nothingness, the woman. _The woman_. That was all he could see right then, was her long locks and vibrant hazel eyes. However, he also found himself pondering over her sharp, witty tongue and… the broken look in her eyes. It reminded him much of Neverland. The pirate remembered seeing that look almost twice a day, once in the eyes of a Lost Boy and the second time in a mirror.

When he stared at himself.

Pushing off of his knees, he then stood and walked over to his wooden chest, where he pulled out his leather top. The material shaped itself to his features, fitting comfortably around each muscle and bend around his torso. Leaving his room, he then left to captain the ship, needing to take port on the beaches where he would be meeting an old ally.

Killian Jones pulled out his spy glass and used it to scope over the land beyond the sandy shore. He was waiting patiently for the woman to make her appearance. Part of him just wanted to forget her. She and her daughter seemed to have a very complicated relationship that Hook didn't want to be a part of. However, she had said something that piqued his interest.

"_I know how to get to where _he_ is. Your crocodile._"

That had certainly got his attention. Bitter, dark thoughts and memories swirled around his head, each one just as painful as the last. Hook angrily collapsed the looking glass before composing himself when a smooth voice spoke from behind him.

"Hello, Hook."

No doubt it was her. From the corner of his eye, he saw her move to his side. "Hello, Cora," he greeted back calmly and stoically. "You said you had something you needed to show me?" Killian didn't want to talk about pleasantries. Now that he knew there was a way to get to Rumpelstiltskin, it felt as if the fire within him had been stoked, burning fiercer than ever.

"Have you heard of Snow White and Prince Charming?" The older woman asked simply.

"I've heard tales of them. Word has it that they rebelled against your daughter, and reclaimed the kingdom as their own. I see where all of your daughter's hate comes from-," Cora's head snapped to him and she snarled.

"The kingdom is mine!" She spat and a few seconds later, she calmed herself. "Ours. It belongs to Regina and I. King Leopold was a fool who didn't know how to rule."

A curious eyebrow was raised, but he quickly lowered it, not wanting to show his incredulousness towards the raging, former queen. Killian couldn't be bothered to trifle with the fealties and kingdoms of the land. This was just one of the other million reasons why he loved the sea. There were no boundaries, no limits, and no rulers. The ocean was his kingdom.

His attention was again on Cora as she cleared her throat to speak again. "When Regina cast the curse to send them to the land without magic, the Charmings were able to get their daughter to this new land, untouched by the curse. The way they did this was with a magic wardrobe that had the power to travel between worlds. If we can get to the wardrobe, I can try to renew the enchantment and then we will be on our way."

"Brilliant. What is the name of this new land we are headed to?" He inquired, merely out of curiosity.

Cora replied. "Storybrooke."

Killian breath caught in his throat as he froze. _Storybrooke_? He suddenly remembered his absurd dream that he had that night.

"_What world do you come from?_"

"_A small town called Storybrooke,_" she had replied.

"Curious name," was all Hook said. The pirate tried to mask his shock by keeping his façade up, but he felt that he had failed. His mind was now back in the white room, with the mysterious girl named Emma. Now, more than ever, he wanted to sleep, just to see if the blonde would appear again. Now, he didn't care about the possibilities of nightmares or haunting dreams.

His dream didn't seem so ridiculous after all.

* * *

That night Killian found himself in the white room again, much to his surprise. He was standing at the base of the entrance, right in front of the door that he had left out of before. The room's walls were as white as ever, the bright blanch color was almost blinding. Then, his eyes locked on a contrasting figure who was sitting on the floor, knees pulled up to her chest. Their eyes met for a brief second before she broke the silence.

"You again?" Her tone wasn't hateful, but it did sound quite annoyed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Hook was speechless at first. With every passing moment, the woman's tale became more and more believable. He was there again, but what did that mean? Who was this woman in front of him? Ignoring the woman's question, he then said, "All right, lass. Say we _are_ sharing a dream. Why do you think that is?"

Emma lifted her head a bit higher and stared at him, and an analytical gaze fell upon him. "Like I know. I don't have a clue how any of this curse crap works…" the end of her sentence trailed off into a softer tone, but in less than a second, her bite was back. "So now you suddenly trust me?" She asked lazily.

He ignored her last question, again. Whether he had faith in her words or not wasn't important at the moment. Hook just needed her to trust him so that she would tell him more about this Storybrooke. "A curse, eh? Who was it? Morgana? Maleficent? Or was it good old Regina?"

Swan chuckled darkly before letting her chin fall back to her knees. She muttered. "And we have a winner… Regina and her damn sleeping curse…"

"You certainly chose a dangerous enemy, Swan," the pirate walked towards her and took a seat against the wall, keeping a bit of distance between them. He sighed as he made himself comfortable and felt the eyes of the blonde staring at him. "Regina does not forgive, nor does she forget. The question is what did you to get her to despise you, so?"

Emma snorted, her words coated with a heavy layer of sarcasm. "Regina? Holding a grudge? I would have never expected that. The woman's just full of rainbows and sunshine…" She sighed. "Honestly, I think the fact that I exist is enough for her to hate me."

Killian chuckled a bit, "That's a bit hyperbolic, isn't it, love?"

"With Regina? No," the woman said bitterly. Her blonde curls ran down her shoulders and bounced as she scoffed. "I guess hate can be genetic."

"I highly doubt that." He knew Regina hated many people, but the only person he knew she hated the most was Snow White and her husband. His eyes then went wide with realization.

"_...the Charmings were able to send their daughter to the new land, untouched by the curse._"

Turning his head towards the blonde, he then stared at her, taking a moment to rake over her features as if he were seeing her in a new light. This whole time, he had been talking to a princess, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. It was just a hunch, but it would explain why Regina hated her, though.

He almost snorted at the irony. The whole thing was incredibly novel, really. The King and Queen had sent their daughter away to escape a curse, yet here she was. It was only Emma's voice that brought him back to the present when she said. "None of this makes sense."

"What did you expect, Princess?" Her head snapped to him, eyes glaring. "Magic is a blessing and a curse."

Emma's reaction was not expected. Her eyes had changed completely, and there was that look again. Hurt, sadness and a bit of anger. The bright blue in her pupils seemed to have darkened into a pool of conflicting emotions. When she spoke, her voice carried a dark undertone, nearly spitting the words out. "_Don't_. Call. Me. That."

* * *

Emma didn't know why that word made her want to hide. It hadn't meant anything to her before. Before she got to Storybrooke, at least. Something about that word just made her angry, incredibly so. Part of her thought it was because the word carried responsibility, meaning.

She soon discovered that she did hate that word. _Princess_, but not because of the reasons she thought it to be. It represented everything that she could have been. Had the curse never happened, she would be with her aged parents, living in a castle, riding horses, going to fancy balls. It was everything she learned to hate as she got older, colder, and bitterer towards fairytales.

When she was younger, she would constantly wish for her life to be like a story because it gave her hope. Steady beginnings, troublesome middle, but there was always a happy ending. Now, she often mocked the saying 'happily ever after', because it was everything she never had. It went against who she was.

"My parents are Snow White and Prince Charming, but I am _not_ any princess. I refuse to be some damsel. All my life I've had to look out for myself, fight my own battles, and learn what it takes to survive. _I _deserve some more damn respect instead of giving all the glory to the knight that comes in to save the day. In what twisted land is my life a fairytale?" her words turned into a hoarse whisper. "My story is too broken to be a fairytale."

Emma hadn't realized how small she sounded. Never before had she poured out her emotions like this. However, she also never knew she was a book character either. She didn't know why she was venting to a stranger. She guessed that screaming her problems to an empty room wasn't nearly as satisfying as yelling at some pirate about them.

Tears had formed near the edges of her eyelids and threatened to fall, but she blinked them away, not wanting to seem weak. _A bit too late for that, Emma,_ she told herself mentally. She sniffed once or twice, averting her eyes away from the captain. _God, I'm a mess, _was all she could think until Hook spoke.

"Your story isn't over, Swan," was all he said. His tone was soft; there were no flirty or snide underlying tones. Though he spoke few words, every single one of them has such pure sincerity in them. What he said was completely genuine.

She wasn't sure how to react at first. His words were supportive, she even saw it to be kind, but it wasn't what she was expecting at all. "What does a pirate know about faith?" She asked casually. Emma made her words sound questioning, and light, but not rude so that he would know that she had appreciated his response, but she was done being sentimental.

He seemed to understand, speaking with a much more lax attitude. "Oi, we have morals as well. They just aren't as strict as yours might be."

"Do your morals include sneaking into my dream?" She asked, bringing up the matter again. Emma had no idea how magic or curses worked, but she certainly hadn't been counting on sharing dreams with a pirate, Captain Hook to be exact. At least now, however, she didn't think it was too bad.

"Darling, I am just as lost as you are when it comes to that subject."

A sigh escaped her lips and she allowed her head to rest against the wall, closing her eyes wearily. There was really no way for her to get out of this.

"Don't look so hopeless now, love. I see that look in your eye, you're an open book to me," the man said suddenly, as if he could read her mind. He continued, "Every curse can be broken."

Emma squirmed slightly, but ignored his well read analysis of her. Instead she scoffed. "You mean true love's kiss? Not too many of those in my world."

Right before Hook opened his mouth to say something, a small tremor quaked below the. The walls and floor trembled beneath them and the door in front of them flew open. Emma shot a glance over to the man at her side and found that he was slowly starting to fade, his body becoming transparent. "Looks like the day has come to claim me, but do not fret," he said cheekily and winked. "It seems like we'll be seeing more of one another quite often."

He stood and started to walk towards the open exit, but before he stepped out of the threshold, he turned to her. "Also… even if you can't break the curse, you can still fight like hell against it."

Emma just stared as Hook left her in the room and the door shut again. _One… Two…_ She stood for the first time in what felt like ages. The bottom of her feet rubbed glided gently against the plain surface of the space as she brought herself to stand before the door. Everything was quiet as she placed a steady hand against the wooden slab.

Bringing her arm back slowly, she then punched the wall with all her might. Emma cried out slightly and she fell back, clutching her hand. She silently cursed herself, but when she looked up at the spot she had attacked, a tiny smile full of awe spread across her face.

Emma Swan sat on the floor of the white room. Each inch, every meter of the chamber was pure white. The walls were all identical except for one that had a door attached to it. And on that door now was a small puncture where the wood was splintered and slightly broken.

* * *

Mary Margret walked up to Emma's bedside, getting ready to leave her for the first time in days. That night they were going to put her friend on feeding tubes and she wasn't sure she would be able to handle seeing that. She smiled a bit, imagining her roommate's reaction to the fact that she was fed through a tube. No, Emma would not like that one bit.

Smiling sadly at the unmoving figure in the hospital bed before her, she grabbed her best friend's hand and held it tightly and affectionately. "I'll be back, Emma. Stay strong."

Suddenly, she felt a squeeze on her fingers. A gasp was caught in her throat as she looked down at her roommate's hand to find that it had flexed slightly before returning limp again. It was a sign, though. For a moment, Mary Margret was frozen solid. Her body and mind were sluggish until she finally shouted. "_Dr. Whale_!"

* * *

**[A/N]: **_So, I meant to get this out last week, but I didn't like the way I wrote it the first time so I went back and tried again, but I still don't really like it and I'm sorry. Well, here it is though. CS abound. I just didn't feel like I did their characters justice. Anywho, for those of you getting confused or anything, everything will get explained in due time. Also, I meant to have the chapter end with Killian's POV, but I just had an idea, so... Oh? You don't care about my ideas? It's okay, usually no one does._

_I am still forever grateful to all those who reviewed! Thanks to all the fave/follows/reviews (you too, nonnies)! See you very soon since I feel bad about this chapter so I'll write another one to compensate. ~ _Sam

**Chapter's Song**: Over My Head (The Fray)


	4. We All Wore Chains

**I don't own OUAT, and if I did, I would have the third season aired already and a shirtless Killian. A&E are in charge of that, so if you want to give an award to someone for this show, make it them. Or at least JMo.**

* * *

_Chapter Four_

**We All Wore Chains**

* * *

_When you pick yourself up you get kicked in the dirt._

* * *

The pirate woke again, letting out a small gasp as he sat up straight in his bed. Once he realized that he was indeed in his quarters, he settled down and allowed his body to slump slightly. A deep groan sounded from him as he shut his eyes almost painfully, pinching the bridge of his nose while remembering the events of the dream he had just had.

_Damn, _he thought. It was then when he realized that he never got to question Emma about Storybrooke. Though, there was only one thing that he truly wanted to ask. _May I kill Rumpelstiltskin?_ A part of him wondered was if she would be against it or not.

_Why do I care what she thinks?_ He suddenly asked himself. He did not need the approval of some woman on whether or not his revenge was dignified. Three hundred years he had waited for this moment, the time where he got to kill the Dark One. Then he would finally be able to…

To what?

After he killed Rumpelstiltskin, what would he do? Milah was gone. Bae had rejected him. The seas were a lonely place and since his crew had disappeared with the curse, he would be sailing alone, venturing among the tides aimlessly. He would have nothing. For centuries he had substituted hatred for love, choosing revenge instead of forgiveness. Now, would he finally be paying the price for that?

A knock sounded on his door, echoing through the wood. Killian quickly shrugged into his leather shirt before opening the door. Cora turned to him. "Are you ready to find the wardrobe, Captain?"

"Of course," he said evenly.

A thin smirk spread across her face. "Excellent," she replied. Then, the older woman locked elbows with him and waved a hand through the air. The last thing he saw was the wooden deck of the Jolly Roger before his vision was obscured by purple smoke.

* * *

**Later in Storybrooke**

"_Henry_."

The boy ignored Regina for the fourth time since dinner started, munching on his asparagus rather grudgingly. _Don't speak to her, don't speak to her…_ Henry told himself repeatedly; and he actually managed to do so pretty well. It had been three days since Emma had been cursed and he now feared for the fate of the small town and most of its inhabitants.

While he disregarded Regina, she would often become frustrated with him and send him to his room, which provided him a large amount of time to analyze things.

_Would everyone in the town forget Emma? Would they forget what has happened in the last few months? Would everything go back to the way it was?_

Henry couldn't let that happen, though. He didn't want to go back to his old life; waking up, going to school, doing homework, eat, sleep. Repeat. He was always the odd one, in school, in his class, and in the town. Everyone else seemed to waltz pass him, always knowing what to do or how to feel. Although, the curse was probably what did that for them.

Oh, but he remembered those days painfully and they absolutely dulled in comparison to when he would spend with Emma. The thousands of times when he came home to an empty house, the times when he sat at the playground alone, the times when he would get himself a hot chocolate and read at Granny's. Alone.

Now, he did not want to go back. Not after he had worked so hard and seen what he could have.

It wasn't too soon after he was finished eating when he picked up his plate, ready to leave the table without a word. Regina moved to stop him quickly, grabbing his arm, only to have it snatched back instantly. "What is the matter with you?" She asked, obviously shocked at his insubordination.

He mumbled something inaudible, not making eye contact with her.

"Don't mumble, Henry, you know I don't-."

"You really are evil, aren't you?" He asked suddenly.

Regina recoiled visibly. He could see that she was analyzing the situation, speaking very carefully, like she always did when she was around him. "Henry," she said with a hurt tone. "Why do you believe so strongly that I am evil? I had nothing to do with what happened to Miss Swan."

Averting his head away from her, he simply asked. "Can I just go upstairs now?"

A pause.

"Yes…" Was her small, quiet response.

Henry took his plate to the kitchen and ran up stairs. If he wasn't so keen on getting away from Regina, he would have probably been dragging his feet. Entering and closing the door to his room, he flopped down on the bed. He stared at the ceiling as the silhouettes from his bedside lantern glided across the room constantly. He sniffed as tears welled up in his eyes again.

He was probably the one person that Regina was kind to. If she was nice to him, why was it so hard to be that way to others? She gave him almost everything. Warm food, nice clothes, fun toys, but it wasn't ever anything he actually _wanted_. She was never there when he wanted her to be, she was cold and unsympathetic towards the citizens, and she didn't even humor him when he started to talk about his stories. He had gradually come to detest how she treated him and shrug away from any and all of her attempts to show affection.

Though, despite what he believed or thought now, there would always the part of him that truly did love his adoptive mother.

* * *

Regina watched as Henry dashed up the stairs and into his room, hearing the door close with a small, but loud _slam_. She winced at the noise and clutched the head of her chair, her nails bit into it angrily. Even after Miss Swan was gone, Henry still rejected her. What did she have to do to get him to love her?

She remembered the days when he was younger, always bouncing around with a grin on his face. He would come up to her and plead for sweets and candy. "Momwy, _pwease_?"

However, now things were different. Henry was so mature and clever for his age. He was getting into those rebellious years, and before she knew it, he was gone, and he had gotten on a bus to Boston to find his birth mother. She knew what had started his crazy fantasies, though.

It was that _damn_ book. That leather book with golden print that glistened slightly, _Once Upon a Time._ Regina loathed that book with a passion, and the person that had given it to her son, she hated even more. Snow White or rather, Mary Margret Blanchard. _Ruining my life in more than one world_, she thought bitterly.

Suddenly a loud shriek from the telephone pulled her out of her thoughts. Picking up her dish, she brought it to the kitchen, which was also next to the ringing phone. Placing her plate down on the counter, she then spoke into the receiver. "Regina Mills."

"**Sorry to bother you this late, Mayor, but you said to inform you if there was any change in Miss Swan's condition**." It was Whale.

Regina now had her full attention on what the doctor had to say. "Did something happen?" The curse couldn't be breaking, there was no way!

"**Well,**" he started. "**At the moment, the sheriff is still unconscious. However, her monitor scan showed that there was an increase in brainwave activity about an hour ago. Plus, one of the visitors said that Miss Swan had moved**."

Her teeth were clenched now. She knew exactly what the problem was, or rather, _who_ it was. Just to be certain, she asked, "Who was this visitor?" She inquired lightly.

"**Mary Margret Blanchard**."

_Of course_. "Thank you, doctor. I might come by tonight to check up on the sheriff. Good-night." With that, she ended the call and huffed angrily.

"True love," she spat to no one in particular. True love, the one thing that breaks any curse. What a loophole. Regina knew that this was the cause of her dwindling sleeping curse. Snow White, a.k.a, Mary Margret, was Emma's mother. Knowing the woman, she must have been spending every minute of every day with her daughter.

A parent's true love was just as strong as a kiss from a person's eternal lover. _How weak_, she thought, _sentimental._ _No matter, I will have to reinforce the curse with something stronger._

Regina walked to one of the cupboards and searched around until she found a small bottle containing two apple cores. She had planned to keep them in case she wanted Miss Blanchard to share the same fate as her daughter, but now she had no other choice. The cores of her poisoned apple would give her curse the extra boost it needed in order to stay strong. It may not be unbreakable, but it wouldn't wither to a parent's true love.

Dumping the two seeds into a grinder, she quickly reduced them to a powder and mixed some water with it. Now, the bottle held what appeared to be foggy liquid, but it was now practically the strongest sleeping curse there was.

All that was running through her mind was revenge and anger, and she didn't once think about how Henry felt, or would feel, as he watched her leave from his bedroom window.

Regina arrived at the hospital in less than five minutes, making sure act the mayor part and send a wave to the receptionist, who was already beginning to doze off. She walked to Emma Swan's room with haste, glancing at each person in the halls as she strode on by. Finally, she slid the glass door of the sheriff's room open and entered, making sure to pull a syringe from the nurse's cart. Her heels clicked as she stepped closer to the blonde's bed.

She couldn't help but smirk at how well her original curse had done its job. The woman was definitely still unconscious. A tube was taped up to the corner of her mouth. The feeding tube.

Regina reached into her pocket and pulled out the bottle, uncapping it to dip the needle inside the murky water. She withdrew all of the liquid so that the syringe was nearly full. Slowly, she pushed the edge of the silver into the tube and watched as the curse slipped into the woman's mouth.

The results were nearly instantaneous. The sheriff's heart rate went down by about two beats while her pulse got a bit slower, the constant beeping of the heart monitor dropped in speed. Turning on her heel, she disposed of both the bottle and the syringe as she left the room, smirking.

She had won.

* * *

Emma was still attempting to break down the room when it happened. She was throwing her fists at the wall repeatedly and with each hit, the small opening got wider along with her smile. Though her knuckles were bloodied and sore, she wouldn't stop now that she actually had a chance to break out of this.

Now, her mind was focused on kinder things like Storybrooke. Since she moved around a lot, she rarely got attached to an area or city. It was different here, however. She found herself missing the small things like the big forest, the small shops, and Granny's hot chocolate. Most of all, Storybrooke was where Henry and Mary Margret were. Emma was still thinking and trying to sort out her words when the whole 'family' topic came up.

And that's all that mattered to her now. Now she had something to fight for.

Emma lifted her arm, ready to land another punch, but suddenly, the sound of chains clanged around her. Iron braces snapped themselves to her wrists and ankles, pulling her away from the wall and into the center of the room. _No, no, no!_

She tugged on her new restraints, which seemed to be attached to the floor and ceiling. The heavy cuffs around her ankles and wrists rubbed and irritated her skin as she struggled with them. After twenty minutes of fighting and squirming, the area around the metal had raw, pink skin peeking out from beneath them.

The blonde let herself fall to the floor, panting heavily from weariness and anger. She had been so close. Just another hour or so later and she might have been able to slip through the gap and out of the room.

The cruelest thing was that the wall didn't repair itself or return to its original state. The chains kept her from moving closer to the edge of the room, always stopping her whenever she was just three feet away. Now, she wasn't just trapped, she was a prisoner, in the worst of ways.

She could see her way out, but she couldn't reach it.

_Now, the door was open, but her wings were clipped._

* * *

**[A/N]: **_Oh god, so I'm going to regret submitting this just watch. I felt very iffy on this chapter. I had many ideas on how I wanted it to go, but I had to just stick with one so... I might revise? I don't know, how do you guys like it? I'm sorry that the POV is everywhere, like always... but there was a lot of things I wanted to get done in this chapter. Lots of Henry feels. I feel bad for the way I'm writing Regina, but this was her character at this point in the series, so... just know that I don't hate her or anything. Next chapter is a lot of Killian, btw, and someone else..._

_On a happier note, thank you all SO much for the reviews/faves/follows. If you can, please leave your thoughts or a comment. ~ _Sam

_**Chapter's Song(s)**: For the First Time (The Script) & Fly on the Wall (Thousand Foot Krutch)_


	5. Change Your Mind

_Chapter Five_

**Change Your Mind**

* * *

_The part of me that's beating, takes a beating._

* * *

Mr. Gold, aka, Rumpelstiltskin saw himself as a very powerful man. He was the Dark One, after all. However, one thing that he found quite irritating was the fact that he had all this power and magic within him, yet he was trapped in this land without magic. It was very upsetting, considering he had a son that he had to find somewhere in this world.

Things had started to look up for him once Miss Emma Swan had come to town. He remembered the night when he had been in Granny's, collecting their rent, when he noticed an unfamiliar person in the inn. Of course, Rumpelstiltskin hadn't thought much of it until he heard the woman's name.

"Emma Swan."

At that moment, the world around him seemed brighter and clearer. The shroud that had been concealing his previous self had been lifted. He was Rumpelstiltskin, the Dark One. It was then that he realized that the savior had come, and she was standing right in front of him.

From that moment on, he was completely aware again, and he watched from afar as Miss Swan slowly integrated into the town and its inhabitant's lives. What intrigued him was how quickly things had changed with the simple arrival of the woman. Though, she had not even been there for a whole week yet, she had already managed to become indispensible to many people of Storybrooke.

Mary Margret Blanchard, otherwise known as Queen Snow White, and her daughter had been reunited without either of them noticing. Meanwhile, David Nolan, the coma patient, had coincidentally awoken within four days of Miss Swan's arrival. Many other things had altered around the blonde woman. The clock tower had began to function once more, people's personalities and routines were changing, and the evil Queen had gotten more and more suspicious with every passing day.

That's where he made his mistake.

He spectated as the sleepy town started to become livelier, sitting back in hopes that the puppet boy or the savior's son, Henry, would come forth and help her believe. Little did the Dark One know of the broken woman's past. Rumplestiltskin didn't expect the savior to be so cynical, so _distrusting _and _bitter_. He knew he had to do something about it if he truly wanted the curse broken, but now it was too late.

Mr. Gold was limping up to Emma's hospital bed, keeping an appropriate distance between the two of them before he stood, propping himself on his cane. He could see the affects of the curse, for he knew them well. Her skin was as pale as her mother's, her heartbeat was slow, and there were now unsightly tubes that were taped to her mouth. To anyone else, she looked like she was simply in a deep slumber. However, he knew what the curse was truly doing.

It was invading her subconscious, trapping her within her thoughts. For each person the setting was different. For one, they may envision themselves in a cage, for another, they could be wandering aimlessly through a never-ending forest. Though, he was the Dark One, he had noticed that Mr. Gold brought out a softer side of him, and found himself hoping for the best for the cursed girl, wherever her mind was.

_I need to think of a plan quickly_, he thought while his fingers twirled around a single white rose. He set the flower on the small bedside table. There was only one woman he had actually given a red rose to, and she was gone. _I need magic_.

His curse may have been broken, but he was still trapped within the cursed town. The only way he would be able to get out was if the savior broke the curse. Seeing as she was in a magic induced coma, he had to obtain magic in order to try and fix it. Magic was his and Emma's only hope.

"Mr. Gold." His head whipped around to find Mary Margret Blanchard standing in the doorway, eyes wide with shock. He could see how the curse was changing the school teacher as well. There were dark shadows under her eyes, and her usual upright posture had weakened as her shoulders slumped slightly. However, she seemed to be one of the few who people who didn't have trouble remembering Emma Swan. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Well, I just came to check on our beloved sheriff. It's a pity really, our town just doesn't seem to have any luck with law enforcement," he saw the other woman's jaw set. "Maybe the job is cursed."

Gold could tell he was striking a nerve by making all of these inconsiderate comments, but he was looking for a sign, anything that might indicate Mary Margret's alternate personality: Snow White. His theory was that if Miss Blanchard had been as attached to Emma as people says she has been, then the curse on both ladies may have weakened within the last few days.

However, the small woman faked a polite smile and replied with a forced, lighter tone. "You must be talking to Henry about curses. He's always going on about them…"

"He's a smart boy_,_"Rumpelstiltskin said. Suddenly, an idea floated around his head. _Henry_. With the spin of his heel, he walked away from the savior. When passing Miss Blanchard, he said, "Thank you, dearie."

Rumpelstiltskin was now a man on a mission. He strolled out of the hospital with a newfound goal: to gain the help and trust of a certain young boy.

* * *

Killian's feet touched the ground and he relaxed visibly. He hated magic, and he most definitely hated having to use magic. Though, he had to admit, it got the job done. Both he and Cora were now standing in the former throne room of King James and Queen Snow White. Turning to the older woman, he inquired, "We're here, so remind me; what is it we must find?"

The Queen of Hearts already began to wander, her long, dark cloak trailing behind her as she went to observe the tall, regal thrones. She answered him absently, her mind obviously on other things as she trailed a finger along the intricate designs in the golden detail of the seats. "There is a wardrobe within these walls. Once we find it, I will assess if it can still function."

"Right. Then, we both venture to this 'land without magic'?" He asked, a tad suspicious. Hook knew exactly how Cora played her games. She only took notice in people or things that helped and benefitted her. If he was of no use to her, she would dispose of him.

When the woman turned, there was that sickly sweet smile on her face once again, "Of course. You have my word, Captain. Once we find this wardrobe, it is just another step closer to what we want. I get to see my daughter and you get your crocodile."

His response was only a nod. Then, they continued on.

The two of them searched the castle, starting on the right wing. He had to say, the King and Queen were very modest with the look of their home. The palace still looked very regal, but there weren't too many valuable items like one would usually see. Most of the walls were bare, only a few stops had paintings and hung tapestry. Each room was very standard; a bed, a wooden chest for belongings, and a fire place. He, being a pirate, constantly scouted for items that he could pocket, but none truly caught his eye except for a few stray gold coins he had found. He had to say, he was slightly disappointed.

While searching the next few rooms, he often found his mind drifting off to think of Emma. Now that he was certain that she was real, he became more and more curious about her. Curious, yes, that could be a word for what he was feeling. He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but he felt a strange pull towards this woman. Something about her just intrigued him.

She was unlike those he had ever met before, and maybe the reason was because she was exactly like him. There were differences between the two of them, of course, but whenever he thought of her, he found himself relating everything back to his own life. Now, he knew that the instant he had seen her, he felt a connection and he wasn't sure how to explain it.

When he had told Emma to fight, it had come from nowhere. Maybe he pitied the girl, or perhaps he just didn't want Regina to win. He wasn't certain, but something inside him kept favoring the blonde. Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he reminded himself why he was there. He had to kill Rumpelstiltskin.

Soon, a couple hours had passed and there was no sign of any wardrobe yet. While the two scavengers were walking to their next room, Killian decided to ask Cora about her plans. "What if the wardrobe doesn't work?"

Cora used magic to force open the door of one room and stepped into it casually. "Then the tree is no longer of any use to us. It means that it can no longer support the magical properties that were cast on it. So then, we will burn it."

"Beg pardon?"

"The tree, the wood, cannot do its job anymore, which is to use the teleporting enchantment. However, the roots still contain this enchantment. If we can get the ashes, we can bring them to Lake Nostos, where the magic can thrive after getting regenerated," Cora wiped off her cloak as a cloud of dust came out of a book she had picked up. Disgusted, the woman tossed the item aside and found new interest in the letters that were on the table.

"That's it? All we need is sparkly dirt?" Hook's eyebrow rose.

Cora was scanning over a piece of paper, looking rather bored with its contents as she continued to explain her plan. "We'll also need a magic compass from the giant's beanstalk, which you can help me obtain."

The captain was becoming frustrated. This was all becoming a heavy load of work, but it would be worth it. "I thought the giants enchanted the beanstalk so no person could climb it?" He had heard this legend in a tavern, once.

"Which is why I already prepared these cuffs that will allow us to scale the wretched weed," She finished and gestured to a small pouch that was at her side. Cora tossed the letter back down on the table and gestured for him to follow her to the next room, which was at the very end of the hall.

With a huff, he questioned her again, "So, Your Highness, what do you plan to do after reuniting with your precious daughter?"

"Regina and I will destroy the Charmings. Then, she will see that she needs me. The two of us will then rule these lands once again," Cora replied casually.

Killian felt himself stumble slightly. Something about what she had said was bothering him. Why should he care if the King and Queen were killed? Then he realized that if Emma was their child then… "And the savior, what will become of her?"

"Naturally, she is one of the Charmings and will share the same fate," Cora stopped before the wooden door to the room. She turned to him and narrowed her eyes slightly. "Is that a problem, captain?"

Killian said, "Not at all," but the voice that came from his mouth didn't seem like his own. It sounded fake.

With a small nod, the sorceress opened the door to reveal a beautiful room. Unlike all the others, this chamber seemed to be special. More time and thought were put into the decoration as dark, wooden shelves were up against the walls and a round, patterned carpet laid on the floor. The glass in the windows was broken, but from the looks of the outlines that remain, he could see the creative patterns that had been molded there.

The pirate's eyes then fell upon a small, tattered baby crib and he realized that he was in the room that was meant to belong to the savior. To Emma. He found himself walking to the crib and peered inside it. Small stuffed toys sat along the sides of the cradle, and one, he noted, happened to be a pirate.

Suddenly, Cora spoke from the other side of the room. "We've done it, Hook." He turned towards the woman to find her grinning evilly at a large tree trunk. "This is the wardrobe, and it's still able to function if I can supply it with enough magic. We can be in Storybrooke in minutes."

Something started to overwhelm his euphoria. What was this feeling? Panic? Concern? Fear? He hadn't a clue why he felt this way. Now, he finally had a chance to kill his mortal enemy, and now… he wasn't sure what he wanted.

Then it hit him. Time; he needed time. This woman was going to destroy Emma Swan, and he didn't know why it upset him so much. All he knew at that very moment, was that he couldn't let Cora get to Emma in this new land, or else she would be dead, cursed or not.

In a split second, Hook rushed Cora, whipping his hook across her face and then quickly turned back to the wardrobe. Killian quickly pulled out one of the gold coins he had pocketed earlier and began to strike it against his hook. Sparks flew and died the first two times, but finally, the sparks caught the wood and flames began to eat at the wood mercilessly.

A menacing voice sounded from behind him, "What do you think you're playing at, Hook?" Right when he turned, Cora was bearing down on him, teeth bared and seething with anger. A bloody and nasty cut now ran across her forehead where his hook had made contact.

Then, the inevitable occurred. Cora flung him against the wall with the wave of her hand and the next moment, the Queen of Heart's hand was in his chest, wrapped around the beating organ that supplied him with life.

* * *

**[A/N]: **_Hey-o! Hi guys! I just managed to dish out this chapter in three hours, lol... So to any spelling/grammar errors, please forgive them! I hope you like this chapterrrr. We're finally starting to see Killian's feelings, and ouch, cliffy, sorry guys. __This is the first time I didn't add Emma's POV so it makes me a bit sad. :( Lots of Rumple in this chapter, and a hint of Rumbelle (it was small, very small, I don't know if you got it), was there. _Next chapter will definitely have CS interaction along with some more Snowing. 

_As always, thank you, thank you, **thank you**, to the people who fave/followed/reviewed last chapter! Please leave your thoughts or a comment if you can! ~ _Sam

**Chapter's Song: Summer's Yesterday **


	6. Feel

_Chapter Six_

**Feel**

* * *

_But with you I can feel again._

* * *

Hook gasped as the searing pain within his chest only got stronger as Cora squeezed his heart, but not pulling it out just yet. She wanted him to suffer. Of course, he had ruined her plans to meet her daughter after twenty-eight years, so it was understandable. He must have gone insane. What in the world was he doing? He had destroyed one of the only ways to get to Rumplestiltskin, and now he would have to use the alternative, if he managed to get out of the castle alive, of course. In his mind, he chuckled darkly. All of this for a woman that he had just met not even a week ago.

His mental laughed stopped immediately as another clench of Cora's fist sent a wave of pain rushing through every cell in his body. Hook squeezed his eyes shut, partly wishing that someone would just end his misery.

Partly.

Another hiss escaped his lips as he endured the torture. Cora then brought her face menacingly close to his. The blood that trickled down from the gash he had created glistened and ran down the side of her head. The red faintly touched the edge of her mouth, blending with her already maroon colored lipstick, and making her look even more terrifying. He could only stare as she asked him curiously. "What do you think you're doing, Hook? You would throw away all those years, trying to kill Rumpelstiltskin, for what? I don't seem to understand what's motivating you right now." And it bothered her. He knew it did.

Only one word, one name, was racing through his mind: _Emma._

Killian didn't know what he was doing, he truly didn't. He was a pirate. For centuries, he had killed, stolen, and traded everything that he had to, just to get to his crocodile. Just to have justice, his goal, his _revenge_. He had just been inches away from that. Now this all confused him.

Because he chose that broken, blonde woman; and he didn't know why.

He had chosen her, over Rumpelstiltskin, over _everything_ and he didn't have a clue what possessed him to do so. What was this nagging voice that overwhelmed his mind whenever he thought of Emma Swan? What was this emotion he was experiencing when he discovered that Cora was out to destroy her? It was a nostalgic feeling, really. Whatever this was, he hadn't felt it in a long time. And he found that he had missed it after three-hundred years, this strange feeling. All he knew was that with Emma, he felt it, and he wanted to keep it, keep it safe, keep it close. So, his subconscious kept telling him just how to do that.

Protect Emma Swan.

"I vaguely remember this moment, except there were a few minor differences. One being, you weren't nearly as enraged as you are now," Hook joked, a painful smile etched onto his face.

Suddenly, a sound, other than the loud beating of his heart, hit his ears. What were those…? Footfalls, and they were coming close. The pirate's eyes darted to his captor, looking for any indications of her noticing the noise. However, it appeared that Cora hadn't, either that, or she simply paid no mind to it.

Another agonizing twist in his chest caused his to groan in pain. "Silly captain. You'll soon be wishing that you hadn't mocked me. You see, I'm not going to take your heart because I sense what's happening to you. The way your heart beats, the shape and touch of it, it seems different. It doesn't feel like a stiff, blackened heart like it had in Wonderland, no. It's become softer." The former queen said quietly and informatively. "But this also means _you've_ become soft."

For a moment, he desperately wanted the woman to continue her evaluation of his heart. For years, he hadn't felt anything, love, compassion, even lust had neutralized a bit. Was this what he was experiencing? Was his heart softening? Killian didn't have time to ponder the thought anymore as Cora resumed her spout.

"This means you've become useless to me now, but I'm not going to kill you," then she leaned closer. "I'll find the thing that's healing your soul. I'll find it, and I'll destroy it, don't think I won't. And this time, when you fall into a deep depression because of this, you will wallow in your own self-pity and anger, and then you will slowly deteriorate. There will be no hope for revenge this time, dear, because I _always_ win."

The door to the nursery flew open and an arrow flew in with it. It had been aimed expertly at where Cora had stood before she vanished into a cloud of purple smoke, reappearing on the other side of the room, also releasing her grip on his heart. With a large intake of air, he collapsed onto all fours before looking up at the scene in front of him, panting.

Two men, one wore heavy, foreign armor with a matching helm, and the other had on a shiny, sliver chest plate, but his face was exposed. The sight of the man caused Hook to break out into a grin. Cora snarled at the newcomers and then turned back to him. "We're not done. You may be unharmed now, but cross my path again and I will make your death quick, contrary to what I said earlier," with her final, last note, she dissipated into nothing once more.

_Another slim escape from death_, Hook thought. During the whole ordeal, he hadn't noticed that his hand had placed itself over his heart. Removing it, he then found a hand being thrust into his face. "It's been long while, Hook. After this event, I believe my debt is repaid, then?"

"Don't count on it, Prince Phillip," Hook replied back cheekily, taking the outstretched hand. "However, it may be if you and your friend assist me on a journey."

"Phillip, you know this… Pirate?" The other _woman_ said. As she spoke, she removed her helmet, tucking it under her arm. It was then that he could see her eyes that were glued to him, narrowed suspiciously.

"Now, don't say my title with so much distaste," Hook said casually.

The prince ignored him, speaking to his companion. "I met him when I first started my search for Aurora, right around the time when Regina's curse had activated. I owe him a very heavy debt that I was to repay when Aurora and I reunited and our kingdom thrived."

"What could a pirate offer you that would require such a favor?" The warrior woman asked curiously.

"I needed a ride on his ship to Maleficent's castle. Everyone was trying to prepare for the curse coming, but I just wanted to see Aurora again before the curse struck. Hook was the only one sailing. By the time I arrived, the witch was gone, and so was Aurora. About a day or two after, the curse was cast, and that's when my search stopped," Phillip explained with a sigh, his tone heavy.

"Oh, yes. I would have expected that the curse would halt your search, which it did. However, now you seem to be moving a lot more freely. How is that?" Hook was genuinely interested in this predicament. The curse wasn't broken yet, he knew that for a fact, with the savior under a curse and all.

"It started merely three days ago. The affects of the curse, Cora's curse began to get weaker. No one knows why," the woman explained.

Phillip continued, "We came here to rest from our journey on foot, since I'm sure King James and Queen Snow White wouldn't mind. However, it seems that we have arrived in the nick of time, isn't that intriguing, Mulan?" The woman, Mulan, he assumed, gave a short nod. "Now, what is this favor you speak of, captain?"

"So eager to help me, mate?"

"Honestly? I just hate the idea of being indebted to you in this curse for who knows how long."

Hook let out a humorous breath, "You shall not worry, my ally, I just need a bit of company." In his hand, he held a black pouch, the very same one Cora had containing some important leather cuffs.

* * *

She wasn't even sure how it was possible, but Emma was sweating in her dream. The white room had gotten much darker, and now shadows danced across the walls constantly, making her feel as if she were going insane. The chains were heavy on her arms and ankles, so heavy that it was hard to just move. Every inch of her felt sore as she sat motionless on the ground, her knees pulled up to her chin once again.

And that was why she could feel the sweat. Beads of perspiration trickled down her forehead, down her back, dampening the white dress that was now starting to look a bit tattered at the fringes. Her hair felt disgusting, unlike before where nothing in the room ever changed, now her blonde locks fell to her shoulders limply, weighed down by sweat and oil.

To put it simply, she felt like crap. Things had only gotten worse since the chains appeared. The room temperature fluctuated, the dimness of the room bothered her eyes, and time actually started to feel like it was passing. Then there was that damn gap in the door.

The hole she had worked on was still on the door, still as wide as she had made it. That was where a lot of the source of light would come from, but beyond that, she couldn't help but wonder what would be out there for her. _If_ she ever got out.

Suddenly, a voice sounded from her side. "Good gods… What the hell are these?" Whipping her head around, she then saw Captain Hook standing behind her casually, indicating to the metal chains that were loosely strewn around her. "Lass, if you wanted to get chained up, one of the proper places to do it would be a bed. Mine, ideally."

Without warning, Emma lunged at the pirate, but the chains kept her from reaching him. Just like they did with everything else. While sitting around, cursed, the blonde had a lot of time to speculate. She had eventually come up with the conclusion that Hook could have been the one behind her in-dream restraints. The pirate didn't flinch, but he stared at her with slightly widen eyes.

"You did this, didn't you?" Emma accused, pulling up her arm so that the chains dangled down in front of him. "Never trust a fucking pirate."

"Oi! I resent that, you ungrateful woman!" He retaliated haughtily.

Emma laughed a bit hysterically. Being alone in a room twenty-four seven was not doing wonders for her mental state, dream or no dream. "Ungrateful? What exactly have you done for me? Assault me with innuendos?"

The captain's eyes darkened as she spoke these words. He seemed to be giving her a look that said, _you have no idea._ Emma was a bit taken aback at this reaction. Honestly, it was the exact opposite of how she predicted the situation to go. Realizing how crazy and stupid she must have just sounded; the blonde plopped down on the ground again, hanging her head and stressfully rubbing her face in her hands.

_I really am going insane,_ she thought bitterly.

Emma looked up curiously when she heard a deep, throaty chuckle emit from the pirate in front of her. He seemed to be smiling ruefully as he turned to her. "Oh lass, you haven't a _clue_ what I have done for you."

Without even being asked, the man went on a tangent, saying how he had to deal with Cora, Regina's mother. ("Wait, Regina's _mother_?") He explained how he had originally been working with the older woman to seek his revenge and how the pair of them ended up visiting her parent's castle in search for the wardrobe that had sent her away. Emma had followed along, albeit a bit confused, except for when he started to relay the time he struck Cora to burn down the wardrobe.

"I don't get it," she said.

"Get what?" He inquired.

"Why would you do that?" She tried to clarify; however, she didn't do a fine job of reiterating her question.

"Sorry?"

"The wardrobe. You had a way to get to the other land, world, whatever you want to call it. Why didn't you take it?" Emma questioned.

Hook hesitated before saying. "She would've found you and killed you instantly."

"Why do you care?" Emma shot back. There wasn't any attitude in her inquiry. Just pure curiosity. It was a valid question. Why would this pirate care about anyone else's well-being but his own?

"I…" He started. Emma blinked at the sight she saw. It was almost as if Captain Hook was flustered. "I feel something with you, Swan."

"Excuse me? I thought pirates didn't care about anybody but themselves."

He turned to her completely, staring into her with his dark blue eyes and searching her gaze with his. "Then you obviously have a lot to learn. Just because we are pirates, doesn't mean we are incapable of feelings," he paused.

Something about you is making me go insane. I don't know what it is, but all I know is that I only get this feeling around you… And I'm not just going to let Cora run loose, ripping out people's hearts and crushing them," Hook's last few words were mumbled, almost inaudible, but she could definitely hear the emotion behind his words now. They were filled with pain and anger.

It was then that Emma had time to process what he had just said. _Feeling around you. Feeling around _you. No way in hell he had just said that. Emma Swan could not do such things. No one had cared about her; no one had paid attention to her. All her life, she had been living alone, fending for herself, which made the situation even stranger.

Here this guy was, Captain fucking Hook, a man who was actually from a fairytale, waltzing into her life, her _dreams_, saying that he is protecting her. In no land anywhere could that be reality, it couldn't. She really must be going mental.

Emma started to laugh. "This is all a dream."

"What are you-?" The pirate was staring at her.

"There's no way this is real, you're lying."

She heard him walking up to her, she saw his boots as they came closer. Soon, he was kneeling in front of her, grasping her shoulders. "Listen, Swan. This is real; don't let this curse get to your head."

He was right. Regina's curse was slowly twisting her mind around; making her thoughts run laps around her other ones. She was becoming like Jefferson, unable to see the difference between fantasy and reality. The only difference was, in the end, he was right, but it was too late to save his sanity. She didn't want to become like that.

With a nod, Emma agreed, but she said. "Let me ask you one question then, and I need a straight answer, no bullshit." She stood again, holding herself high for the first time in that room.

"What is it, love?" He replied.

"Why did are you really doing this? Helping me?" She asked, and with an air of suspense, she waited.

Hook hesitated and opened his mouth to say something before the room shook, just like it had before. He gave her one last look before walking past her and headed towards the door.

"Hook!" She called after him.

Right before he was about to step off the threshold, the man turned and answered cheekily, "I thought it was obvious." With a grin, he exited the room, leaving her alone to ponder over his words.

Soon, she was able to chuckle, "Bastard…" It wasn't clear, but she was beginning to understand how Killian Jones worked.

* * *

The near-silent sound of food being chewed was all that could be heard in the dining room. Henry's eyes stared down at his plate as he munched on his asparagus slowly, picking at the food at other times. Soon minutes passed and he had lost his appetite. Again. Standing from his seat, he picked up his plate, only for the cool-cutting tone of his adoptive mother to force him down once more.

"Henry, you hardly touched your food," Regina said, slightly scolding him.

He mumbled back, "I'm not hungry."

Regina's eyes narrowed and she spoke loudly and clearly. She stood in front of him now, staring down at him with an air of authority. "Young man, you are going to have to tell me what it is you think I could possibly do to Miss Swan. I was nowhere near her when you said that she-."

"You cursed her!" The boy shouted; his head whipped to the woman and tears were starting to leak out of his eyes. "Why did you do it? She was leaving, she wasn't doing anything wrong. _Why did you curse her_?" Henry rambled, angry, frustrated, and broken.

There was a pregnant pause in the conversation. Time seemed to slow for both of them and dread slowly began to settle within him. Regina moved closer to him, looking at him with the saddest gaze he had ever seen her given. One of her hands found a way around his chin, cupping it gently. "You would never be mine unless she was gone," was what she said, softly, gently, almost too quiet to be heard. Oh, but he had heard it in many volumes. He had heard the truth.

Henry felt his eyes widen. This was another thing he was right about, another thing he was right about, but he didn't want it to be true. All this time, he was living with the Evil Queen. The one who put everyone, Snow White, and now Emma, under a curse. "No…" Slowly, he backed out from her touch.

"Henry…" Regina reached out for him, but he shook his head.

The boy dashed out of the house, not looking back. Tears were now streaking down his face, falling with every step he took. He ran and ran, not caring where he was going as the sun began to slip down. He just wanted to be somewhere away from the Evil Queen.

* * *

**[A/N]: **_Helloooo, my prettiessss. Another chapter for you~ This is going to hurt in the morning. Dished this one out in 2 hours. Please excuse spelling/grammar mistakes, my own proof-reading can only do so much. So, anyways, I just wanted to point out that I have, indeed, been trying to keep a routine by posting once a week, but I'm going on break soon, so hopefully this will mean quicker chapters for a short period of time, until then, bear with me. Idk, this chapter was very descriptive, it didn't have all the stuff I wanted though, like some Snowing, but... ya know. I guess you can say shit went down with Henry? Ehhh? Next chapter will have a bit more to add. Hook might just come out with his confession, we'll see._

_Thank you to all my follow/fave/reviews and any anons that posted, you guys are fabulous, haha. Please leave a comment or your thoughts on this chapter. Thank you! ~Sam_

**Chapter's Song: **_Feel Again (One Republic)_


	7. The Woman

_Chapter Seven_

**The Woman**

* * *

_Fight for something._

* * *

The trio walked slowly through the forest, the only sound around them coming from the crunching of plants and leaves beneath their feet, or the occasional tweet of birds above them. Other than that, the group was silent, marching through the woods without so much as a whisper.

It was quite boring, actually.

And it was because of this silence that Hook didn't waste any time to get his rum bottle opened. He drank it in sips, savoring each gulp and drop wisely. However, by the time they saw the beanstalk in sight, more than half of his bottle was gone and they still had a long trek ahead of them. The only thing that he was remotely pleased with was the progress in their journey which had only taken them a day and a half with no sleep.

Though, he couldn't deny that his mind would wander to deeper, unkind thoughts during these times. Most of them came out of the blue, but they all had one thing in common; they were all about _Emma_.

And it was driving him mad.

Now that he had some time to think, Killian would constantly reevaluate his actions in the nursery. Yet, every time he thought it over, he found himself thinking, _knowing,_ that he would do the same exact thing again in a heartbeat. And this confused and frustrated him like nothing had ever before.

_Why?_ Why did he burn the quickest way to his revenge?

_Why_? Why did he risk his life for this girl he barely knew?

_Why?_ Why was he helping Emma Swan?

He had thought she was just a part of his dream at first. She was supposed to be a hoax, just a figment of his imagination. He thought maybe it was because he was desperate, or he was lusting, but no. The feeling he had towards this woman was more than that. This was something completely different. She wasn't like the ladies he met in taverns. She wasn't like those women that he would use to fill his emptiness, the void in his heart. Emma was something, _someone_, to him, and he hadn't the faintest clue why.

All he knew was that because of this infernal pull the blonde had on him, he wasn't going to let her die. _No, not again, not ever_, he swore to himself. Thus, each of his footsteps that fell seemed heavier than the last.

And strangely enough, his heart felt the same.

* * *

Henry ran until his short, little legs burned and his feet ached. The sun was now below the horizon and the moon shined dimly down on him, still waiting for the sun's light to completely fade. The street lights of Storybrooke flickered to life slowly as he trotted down the sidewalk, head bowed and breathing heavily. The only time he looked up was five minutes later when he had settled a bit and his heartbeat was steady. Looking around himself, he began to panic a bit again.

How could he have wandered off into some random neighborhood like this? It seemed faintly familiar, but he couldn't place it. Henry nearly sighed in frustration. He had lived in the small town all his life, yet because of his mother, he was never truly able to explore beyond the streets by his house. Or rather, the Evil Queen's home.

Another wave of tears threatened to fill his eyes and he sniffed before stuffing his hands into his pockets and continuing along. It was now much darker, as the sun had sunken fast. Seven loud chimes from the clock tower reached his ears and he stopped for a bit to think. Where was he going to go? He couldn't just wander the streets alone until dawn. Storybrooke may be small, but with Emma, the Sheriff, his _mother_, in the hospital, there was likely to be more hooligans out and about to cause mischief and mayhem for the heck of it.

It was then that a small part of him told him to just turn around and go back home, begrudgingly. However, Henry shook his head violently, as if to get rid of the thought completely. No. He was going to figure something out, he always did. When he wanted to find his birthmother, he had nothing to go off of, but a name, yet he still found her. When she wanted to leave town, he was the one that had convinced her to stay. Yes, he would think up a plan, one that didn't involve his returning to his adoptive mother in defeat.

With his head held high, Henry then tried to navigate out of the unknown neighborhood to find the main street again, at least. He had only made it a little ways down the second road, when he heard something behind him. Panic and fear instantly filled him. He knew what happened to Emma and Mary Margret, how the Mad Hatter kidnapped them, and he did _not_ want anything like that to happen to him. So, he dashed off, spiriting down the sidewalk.

However, from the sound of it, the person behind him had, too.

It was a man, Henry decided after he heard the stranger yell something, but it was blocked out by the loud, roaring noise of the blood pumping through his head, his ears. All he could interpret was the deep voice the man had spoken in. No, no, no, he had to lose his chaser. If it was a regular citizen, they would most likely take him back to his home, where Regina was, or if it was a real predator, he would be taken who knows where. Either way, the odds were not in his favor.

Henry tried to keep his run steady, he really did, but recess in elementary school didn't exactly prepare him for the Olympics. He hadn't even noticed his sprint had slowly diminished into a run, a jog, and then a fast walk until a large hand grasped his arm gently. However, to Henry, the fear made the touch feel like someone was scorching him. He reacted violently.

"Let me go!" Henry yelled, so frightened, he refused to open his eyes. He was too busy continuously trying to whack his captor, as his free arm flailed wildly.

"Henry!"

His other arm was then grasped firmly, and he still couldn't place the voice he was hearing. "NO!" He was kicking now.

Then the man spoke again, "Henry, please, it's me! David!" Henry's eyes flew opened and he met the gaze of David Nolan. Prince Charming.

His grandfather.

He hadn't noticed how wet his cheeks were or how much he was sobbing until David bent down in front of him, wiped his tears away and pulled him in a comforting hug, which the boy gladly took. More tears slid down his cheeks as his grandfather shushed him quietly, rubbing a hand against his back, a gesture that felt strange to Henry, but completely natural to David.

"Hey, buddy," David pulled him out of the embrace and put a hand on his shoulder instead. "What going on? It's late for a kid like you; shouldn't you be at home with Mayor Mills-?"

"No!" Henry shouted so suddenly that Emma's father flinched slightly. "No, don't take me back there, please!" He begged.

David looked at him in concern, "Henry, what's going on?"

"You won't believe me."

"If it's about Emma, I understand, but-."

"It is, but you still wouldn't believe me," Henry muttered.

David sighed and Henry thought he had just aged ten years right in front of him. He looked so tired and worn. It was only then that he noticed the lines that were lightly etched into his grandfather's features, causing him to look a decade older than he really was. The older man just shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck before looking back to the boy.

"You know what?" He said to Henry, "Try me." He then stood and began to lead him towards a tall, white and blue house. So that was why the street looked strangely familiar, he had been there for David's 'welcome home' party a while back. It was his and Kathryn's neighborhood.

The feeling of dread filled him. What was he going to tell David? He was just going to be like everyone else and brush off his theory. He was going to think he was crazy too. Henry looked up towards the blonde man uneasily, "You're not going to take me back to her?"

"Not if you don't want me to, kid," David said, reminding Henry of a certain blonde mother. "I want to hear what you have to say. You can stay in the extra bedroom and then tomorrow I'll drop you off at school…"

The school. _That's it. It's worth a shot._

"If I'm going to tell you, we have to include someone else," Henry stated quickly.

"What? Who?" David inquired curiously.

"Miss Blanchard."

* * *

"Well, now Hook. We're at your bloody beanstalk, now what?" Phillip asked, slightly impatient.

"Now," Killian started. "We climb." He emptied the black pouch that contained the two leather cuffs and tossed one to the prince, who caught it rather ungracefully before shooting a mild glare at him.

Mulan stepped forward, "Phillip, you're going to go up there alone with this… _Pirate_?" Her tone was filled with masked disgust.

"Oi, that hurts," He mocked, and pointed his hook above his heart. "Right here." He couldn't help but grin as the female warrior ignored him with a façade that made her seem stoic, but he could tell that she was irritated as hell, further amusing him.

"Mulan, I assure you, I will be fine. Now, from what our lovely guide tells me, there is a giant up there," Phillip said with a heavy breath.

"Giant? I've only ever fought ogres. Giant's are to be extinct." The Asian woman said.

"One still lives, milady, and unfortunately, it's up there," Hook motioned upwards. "Where it guards the compass and it's mounds and piles of jewels and riches."

Phillip nodded, "Yes, well, on that note, do you have anything that will help me against a giant?"

"Or Hook?" She asked slyly.

"Hey!"

Hook watched as Mulan pushed a bag into the prince's hand. "Crushed poppy seeds. They'll put the giant to sleep if need be."

"Thank you," Phillip said.

Mulan opened her mouth to speak, but the pirate intervened. "Tick tock, mate. Cora isn't too pleased with me at the moment, and I would hate for her to have second thoughts about not killing me." Phillip only gave a slight nod to Mulan before he joined him at the foot of the beanstalk. "Up we go."

The two men started to scale the mass of vines, not looking back down until they were nearly above the clouds. Birds flew past them occasionally and it just seemed to be a sick reminder of how high up the two of them were. It was worse for him because his hook would sometimes refuse to catch onto the vine, causing him to have almost lost his balance numerous times before.

It felt like hours before the duo saw the opening to the giant's home. To his right, he heard Phillip grunt, "This better be worth it, pirate. Why do you need this compass so desperately, hm? What's in the other world that you need to get to?"

It should have been a simple answer, but his mind had other plans. The words that left his mouth ended up surprising both the men on the beanstalk.

"A woman."

* * *

**[A/N]: **_Hello dear shipmates, or non-shipmates (whoever's reading this fic still)! Thank you for sticking with me after soooo long. I lied again, so fair warning, next time I go on break and say that I'll write a LOT, it usually ends up meaning that I won't write at all. Haha, so sorry about thisss. But hey! Here's the chapter! Killian and Henry POVs just for shits and not-really-giggles, but just because I can. Next will have Emma and Snowing and Regina and Rumple maybe... I promise... Sorta._

_Thank you, thank you, **thank you, **everyone who has favorited/followed/reviewed for the last chapter and this fic! Over 170 followers, whatttt? I was so pleasantly surprised, so thank you! Please leave your thoughts or opinions and I hope you enjoyed~_ Sam

ON ANOTHER NOTE. **CAPTAIN SWANNNNNN. THEY KISSEDDDDDDDD. HHAHAHAHA**. Okay, I'm done.

**Chapter's Song**: _Ever After_ (Mariana's Trench)


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